The other day I wrote a bit about what I have been reading - the book Lilith by George MacDonald. Some say that this is his greatest work. Most say, "Who in the world was George MacDonald?" Well, he was a 19th century author who had a great impact on the life and writing of C.S. Lewis, and also J.R.R. Tolkien. As I said in the earlier post, he is considered by them and others to be the first to write in the fantasy genre, - at least in modern times.
Okay, so what is MacDonald trying to communicate to his readers in the book Lilith?
Well, I think that he is basically preaching the Gospel to us. He is using the story of Lilith's rebellion and eventual redemption as an example of how a soul is saved. The original creation, degenerate because of sin, is regenerated, and evil is undone. Lilith, who was once enslaved by the shadows, is now overcome and set free by the light.
Pretty amazing, actually. This Augustine quote is appropriate, I think.
"Thou hast prompted him, that he should delight to praise thee, for thou hast made us for thyself and restless is our heart until it comes to rest in thee. "
- The Confessions of Saint Augustine, Book One, Chapter I
Below you will find what I think is a key quote from Lilith, p. 202. We generatlly think of God changing a person, and He does, of course. However, isn't it more like God restores a person when they believe in Christ? We become who we were meant to be all along. We do the things that God prepared for us to do.
We do not need to fear putting our trust in Christ. When we are found by Him, we find our real selves, too.
Ephesians 2
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Lilith, p. 202
"Had he not made you," said Mara, gently and slowly, "you could not even hate him. But he did not make you such. You have made yourself what you are - Be of better cheer: he can remake you."
"I will not be remade!"
"He will not change you, he will only restore you to what you were."
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Weird Music
The 20th century was known for its musical experimentation in every one of its genres. Music involving the oboe was no exception.
Way back when I was in high school, my oboe teacher gave me a piece of music that he thought I might like to play. It was a trio for flute, oboe, and viola - or clarinet - called Terzetto, and it was composed by Gustav Holst of The Planets fame. If you click on the word "Terzetto" in this paragraph, you will be able to see the score of this unusual work.
One of the most obvious quirks you will notice is that each instrument is to play in a different key.
When I was a freshman in HS, I played half of a nice little Handel sonata for oboe for our SW Washington regional solo and ensemble contest. It went very well. The judge loved it, and I got a I-. Okay, so when I was a sophomore, I tried the solo route again, but with disasterous results. It was a very bad experience.
I decided that I would never play a solo again, and would participate only in small ensembles and large groups. Of course, I played solos again, but never standing up in front of a group, depending on my memory to get me through!
In my junior year of HS I got a couple of friends to go in with me to play the Terzetto for contest. It went very well. The judge loved it and gave us a I - the highest rating. Luckily, we actually ended up together in that performance, and the fact that there were a lot of dissonant notes written into the parts was definitely in our favor.
When we got done, we went home. My friend the violist had a date that night, so she wanted to get home ASAP. Our orchestra director told us how great we had done, but he forgot to tell us one important thing. We had been selected to play for the evening concernt where the best performers played for all the music teachers and other musicians. Unfortunately we were long gone before we found out. We just wanted to play and get out of there as fast as we could, and home was 2 hours away!
Our director felt kind of bad that he forgot to tell us to stick around, so he arranged for us to perform our number in several different venues around our town. This included playing for the school's Spring concert.
Well, it was one thing to play in front of a friendly judge and a few students hanging around. It was another thing to play for an auditorium full of parents and peers. The violist panicked and started playing before the curtain was all the way up. Besides that, she could hardly get any sound out of her viola.
I don't think that we were ever together through the whole number, but when each one is in a different key, maybe that part doesn't matter so much. My rude oboe entrances heard over a whispering viola and a sweet flute drew more attention.
Oh, my! Never again... until the next time... :-)
We played again for the local Pro Musica group. They were a really nice, but rather small, group of mostly older ladies who loved music. Some of them were or had been music teachers. It went much better. We didn't end together, but we were together for most of the piece. I think that contest was the only time we actually ended when the music did. It was always hard to tell on that number, and we were just kids after all.
The Pro Musica people must have liked it because the next year, they gave me a pretty nice scholarship.
One famous musician was part of that group - the Cuban song writer and concert pianist, Nilo Menendez. Weird all around.
Oh, and the flute players hair piece fell off before we got up to play. Thereafter, she always referred to our performance at Pro Musica as a hair raising experience.
The violist graduated that year, so the next year we did a flute and oboe duet at contest - C.P.E. Bach, if I remember right.
Way back when I was in high school, my oboe teacher gave me a piece of music that he thought I might like to play. It was a trio for flute, oboe, and viola - or clarinet - called Terzetto, and it was composed by Gustav Holst of The Planets fame. If you click on the word "Terzetto" in this paragraph, you will be able to see the score of this unusual work.
One of the most obvious quirks you will notice is that each instrument is to play in a different key.
When I was a freshman in HS, I played half of a nice little Handel sonata for oboe for our SW Washington regional solo and ensemble contest. It went very well. The judge loved it, and I got a I-. Okay, so when I was a sophomore, I tried the solo route again, but with disasterous results. It was a very bad experience.
I decided that I would never play a solo again, and would participate only in small ensembles and large groups. Of course, I played solos again, but never standing up in front of a group, depending on my memory to get me through!
In my junior year of HS I got a couple of friends to go in with me to play the Terzetto for contest. It went very well. The judge loved it and gave us a I - the highest rating. Luckily, we actually ended up together in that performance, and the fact that there were a lot of dissonant notes written into the parts was definitely in our favor.
When we got done, we went home. My friend the violist had a date that night, so she wanted to get home ASAP. Our orchestra director told us how great we had done, but he forgot to tell us one important thing. We had been selected to play for the evening concernt where the best performers played for all the music teachers and other musicians. Unfortunately we were long gone before we found out. We just wanted to play and get out of there as fast as we could, and home was 2 hours away!
Our director felt kind of bad that he forgot to tell us to stick around, so he arranged for us to perform our number in several different venues around our town. This included playing for the school's Spring concert.
Well, it was one thing to play in front of a friendly judge and a few students hanging around. It was another thing to play for an auditorium full of parents and peers. The violist panicked and started playing before the curtain was all the way up. Besides that, she could hardly get any sound out of her viola.
I don't think that we were ever together through the whole number, but when each one is in a different key, maybe that part doesn't matter so much. My rude oboe entrances heard over a whispering viola and a sweet flute drew more attention.
Oh, my! Never again... until the next time... :-)
We played again for the local Pro Musica group. They were a really nice, but rather small, group of mostly older ladies who loved music. Some of them were or had been music teachers. It went much better. We didn't end together, but we were together for most of the piece. I think that contest was the only time we actually ended when the music did. It was always hard to tell on that number, and we were just kids after all.
The Pro Musica people must have liked it because the next year, they gave me a pretty nice scholarship.
One famous musician was part of that group - the Cuban song writer and concert pianist, Nilo Menendez. Weird all around.
Oh, and the flute players hair piece fell off before we got up to play. Thereafter, she always referred to our performance at Pro Musica as a hair raising experience.
The violist graduated that year, so the next year we did a flute and oboe duet at contest - C.P.E. Bach, if I remember right.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Me and My Oboe
It is very hard to put into words what playing the oboe means to me. For one thing, I am not as involved with music as I was at one time. My major at Western in Bellingham was music, so during those years I spent many hours every day both studying and playing music. Since then, I have gone on to do many things, including teaching music at Prairie Bible Institute in Alberta, Canada.
During the PBI years, I met and married my husband - a fine clarinet player. :-) We spent many years in Chile, South America as missionaries. Our only daughter was born there and thinks that she is a Chilena.
Music was always an important part of our ministry, but we did not have time to devote ourselves to music per se.
After we returned to the US, I returned to teaching music for several years. Our travel schedule at this time does not allow me to teach. What I have been able to do is return to actually spending time playing my oboe. About 3 years ago I was able to purchase a new oboe. The one I had served me well, but it has a couple of cracks in the upper joint. It is over 40 years old, now.
I began to look at new oboes to buy, wanting one that at least had a plastic upper joint. I did not want to suffer the disappointment of a cracked oboe again. I looked at Yamaha's instruments, which are very nice. Then, since they come highly recommended at least here in the US, I decided to try out a Fox oboe.
I fell in love with the Fox. It plays freely, which I need. I suffer from asthma, which makes blowing hard at times. Growing up with smokers, and then the years of living in some pretty polluted air took its toll on my lungs. The sound is beautiful. I lose some of the projection of sound that my old oboe had, but at this time, the playing I do is in church with my husband and in a local orchestra which is pretty small. I get lots of complements on how beautiful my playing sounds, so I guess that the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Also, I hope to take it with me in Nov. when my husband and I, along with a larger team, go into Cuba for conferences. We would like to play some music. I have been able to help some of the Cuban church musicians that we know with their supply needs. Every time I go to Cuba on a mission trip, I take reeds for the sax and clarinet players, drum sticks for the drummers, and strings for the guitarists. I have also been able to provide a trumpet mouthpiece for one guy, and other repair items for the woodwinds.
My oboe is a Fox 300. The tropical climate may be a bit hard on it, but I know that the climate changes will not crack it.
So, even though music is still more of a sideline in my life now, it is still an important part of my life and ministry. God is good!
As far as reed making goes, I pretty much gave up altogether. I am able to get decent reeds at a low price. Even so, I have a bunch of reeds wrapped and ready to carve on, so maybe I'll go back to making my own reeds - and maybe not.
One fun thing that I got to do this year so far was send a back pack full of oboe supplies and music to a young player in Honduras. I met him through Face Book. It just so happened, in God's providence, that my husband and the new Latin America director of our mission were heading for Honduras to visit our workers there. They would go through the city where this young guy lives.
Since I am not teaching anymore, and since I am not studying oboe anymore either, I had a lot of books and materials just sitting around the condo not being used. I remember how it was being a young player and having a hard time finding music and materials. I had a good teacher, but everything had to be ordered from somewhere far away and was all pretty expensive.
So, I was able to pass on my blessing of ample supplies and music to another oboist just starting out. Isn't God good that way? I am still amazed at how that worked out.
During the PBI years, I met and married my husband - a fine clarinet player. :-) We spent many years in Chile, South America as missionaries. Our only daughter was born there and thinks that she is a Chilena.
Music was always an important part of our ministry, but we did not have time to devote ourselves to music per se.
After we returned to the US, I returned to teaching music for several years. Our travel schedule at this time does not allow me to teach. What I have been able to do is return to actually spending time playing my oboe. About 3 years ago I was able to purchase a new oboe. The one I had served me well, but it has a couple of cracks in the upper joint. It is over 40 years old, now.
I began to look at new oboes to buy, wanting one that at least had a plastic upper joint. I did not want to suffer the disappointment of a cracked oboe again. I looked at Yamaha's instruments, which are very nice. Then, since they come highly recommended at least here in the US, I decided to try out a Fox oboe.
I fell in love with the Fox. It plays freely, which I need. I suffer from asthma, which makes blowing hard at times. Growing up with smokers, and then the years of living in some pretty polluted air took its toll on my lungs. The sound is beautiful. I lose some of the projection of sound that my old oboe had, but at this time, the playing I do is in church with my husband and in a local orchestra which is pretty small. I get lots of complements on how beautiful my playing sounds, so I guess that the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Also, I hope to take it with me in Nov. when my husband and I, along with a larger team, go into Cuba for conferences. We would like to play some music. I have been able to help some of the Cuban church musicians that we know with their supply needs. Every time I go to Cuba on a mission trip, I take reeds for the sax and clarinet players, drum sticks for the drummers, and strings for the guitarists. I have also been able to provide a trumpet mouthpiece for one guy, and other repair items for the woodwinds.
My oboe is a Fox 300. The tropical climate may be a bit hard on it, but I know that the climate changes will not crack it.
So, even though music is still more of a sideline in my life now, it is still an important part of my life and ministry. God is good!
As far as reed making goes, I pretty much gave up altogether. I am able to get decent reeds at a low price. Even so, I have a bunch of reeds wrapped and ready to carve on, so maybe I'll go back to making my own reeds - and maybe not.
One fun thing that I got to do this year so far was send a back pack full of oboe supplies and music to a young player in Honduras. I met him through Face Book. It just so happened, in God's providence, that my husband and the new Latin America director of our mission were heading for Honduras to visit our workers there. They would go through the city where this young guy lives.
Since I am not teaching anymore, and since I am not studying oboe anymore either, I had a lot of books and materials just sitting around the condo not being used. I remember how it was being a young player and having a hard time finding music and materials. I had a good teacher, but everything had to be ordered from somewhere far away and was all pretty expensive.
So, I was able to pass on my blessing of ample supplies and music to another oboist just starting out. Isn't God good that way? I am still amazed at how that worked out.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Light in the Darkness
These videos of the Taiwanese Lantern Festival are beautifully poignant. People write prayers on the outside of the lanterns and then send them out into the darkness. It reminds me of the words of the the writer of Ecclesiastes when he spoke,"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
All people everywhere know that there is something beyond this human existence. There is something out there in the darkness. Mankind reaches out into that abyss, hoping that someone or something will hear their prayers and grant them their heart's desire.
In it's own way, that is beautiful, since it is a clear testimony to the fact that eternity is real and our hearts reach out to what is eternal.
With the coming of the Son of God into the world, we see a different dynamic at work. We have the One who is there, the Creator of all things, reaching down into our darkness and showing us the Light of His glory. As the Apostle John said, ' the Light shines in the darkness." Jesus Christ is that light. He came down to us.
John 1
The Word Became Flesh
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."
Scripture also reveals that He is not the one in darkness. We are. He is hidden in the light. In our blindness, we cannot see Him until He opens our eyes. Ask Him to open your eyes so you can see Him as He is.
Matthew 20:34
Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
All people everywhere know that there is something beyond this human existence. There is something out there in the darkness. Mankind reaches out into that abyss, hoping that someone or something will hear their prayers and grant them their heart's desire.
In it's own way, that is beautiful, since it is a clear testimony to the fact that eternity is real and our hearts reach out to what is eternal.
With the coming of the Son of God into the world, we see a different dynamic at work. We have the One who is there, the Creator of all things, reaching down into our darkness and showing us the Light of His glory. As the Apostle John said, ' the Light shines in the darkness." Jesus Christ is that light. He came down to us.
John 1
The Word Became Flesh
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it."
Scripture also reveals that He is not the one in darkness. We are. He is hidden in the light. In our blindness, we cannot see Him until He opens our eyes. Ask Him to open your eyes so you can see Him as He is.
Matthew 20:34
Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Thanks
Ephesians 5:4
Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
How much filthy, foolish, or crude joking can a person engage in and not break this rule?
Ephesians 5:20
giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
What does "everything" include? How often is "always"?
Philippians 4:6
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
What is the breadth of meaning of the words "anything" and "everything"? How inclusive are these words meant to be?
It seems that God really wants us to be thankful. Contrariwise, he does not want us to misuse our mouths through filthiness. He does not want us to waste emotional energy on anxiety. The antidote is thankfulness and prayer.
Pretty simple. Now, go and do it, by the grace of God.
I said "simple", not "easy."
Does that mean that one can never tell a joke or laugh? Of course not! It means that a Christian is supposed to be careful about what is turned into a joke and what is said in order to get a laugh.
Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
How much filthy, foolish, or crude joking can a person engage in and not break this rule?
Ephesians 5:20
giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
What does "everything" include? How often is "always"?
Philippians 4:6
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
What is the breadth of meaning of the words "anything" and "everything"? How inclusive are these words meant to be?
It seems that God really wants us to be thankful. Contrariwise, he does not want us to misuse our mouths through filthiness. He does not want us to waste emotional energy on anxiety. The antidote is thankfulness and prayer.
Pretty simple. Now, go and do it, by the grace of God.
I said "simple", not "easy."
Does that mean that one can never tell a joke or laugh? Of course not! It means that a Christian is supposed to be careful about what is turned into a joke and what is said in order to get a laugh.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
God's Discipline
But Thou art making me, I thank Thee, sire.
What Thou hast done and doest Thou knows't well.
And I will help Thee; gently in Thy fire.
I will lie burning on Thy Potter's wheel
I will whirl patient, though my brain should reel.
Thy grace shall be enough the grief to quell,
And growing strength perfect through weakness dire.
- George McDonald
Diary of an Old Soul, October 2
What Thou hast done and doest Thou knows't well.
And I will help Thee; gently in Thy fire.
I will lie burning on Thy Potter's wheel
I will whirl patient, though my brain should reel.
Thy grace shall be enough the grief to quell,
And growing strength perfect through weakness dire.
- George McDonald
Diary of an Old Soul, October 2
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Mathetes On the Great Exchange
Mathetes on the Great Exchange -
Christ took our sin on Him and gave us His righteousness. Oh believe it! Oh receive it! Christ is for you if you will take Him as a free gift. What do you give Him in return? Your sins. Love like that provokes lifelong worship of and devotion to the One who gave His life for us. This is what Christians have always understood and banked on.
"But when our wickedness had reached its height, and it had been clearly shown that its reward, punishment and death, was impending over us; and when the time had come which God had before appointed for manifesting His own kindness and power, the one love of God, through exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, but showed great long-suffering, and bore with us,* He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God?
O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!"
The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus
* 313 In the ms. “saying” is here inserted, as if the words had been regarded as a quotation from Isa. liii. 11.
Christ took our sin on Him and gave us His righteousness. Oh believe it! Oh receive it! Christ is for you if you will take Him as a free gift. What do you give Him in return? Your sins. Love like that provokes lifelong worship of and devotion to the One who gave His life for us. This is what Christians have always understood and banked on.
"But when our wickedness had reached its height, and it had been clearly shown that its reward, punishment and death, was impending over us; and when the time had come which God had before appointed for manifesting His own kindness and power, the one love of God, through exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, but showed great long-suffering, and bore with us,* He Himself took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own Son as a ransom for us, the holy One for transgressors, the blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God?
O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O benefits surpassing all expectation! that the wickedness of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!"
The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus
* 313 In the ms. “saying” is here inserted, as if the words had been regarded as a quotation from Isa. liii. 11.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Of the Father's Love Begotten
The above song celebrates, among other things, the "eternal generation of the Son." In other words the relationship of God the Father to God the Son is an eternal one. A human father can engender a son in a moment of time, and from that point on, he is the father of that child.
It is different with God the Father and God the Son. Yes, the Son of God was born on this earth at a specific moment in time, but that was not the beginning of His existence. Yes, it was the beginning of His taking on a human body, but He Himself is from all eternity.
Since God the Father is eternal, His Son is also eternal. Hence the term "eternal generation of the Son." The Son of God did take on human flesh, born of the Virgin Mary, but that was not the beginning of the existence of the Son of God. He is eternal, as is the Father and the Holy Spirit - God in three persons.
The early church in the 4th century needed to clarify Biblical teaching about the person of Jesus Christ, since there were some who were teaching that the Son of God was not eternal. That is, He did not exist until He was born on the earth. However, the Bible teaches that the Son of God left Heaven in order to be our Savior. Philippians 2:5-11 is one of the clearest texts supporting the fact of Christ's pre-existence - that is, He was already God and Lord before He took on bodily form, even before time began.
So, Christians have from time to time needed to clarify the relationship that exists between the Father and the Son, as well as the Holy Spirit - the Triune God. There is only one God, existing eternally in three persons.
From the 4th century we have the Nicene creed.:
The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.
Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
More recent theologians have also addressed this issue of the "eternal generation of the Son." Here is what A.A. Hodge had to say as quoted in a Wikkipedia entry.:
"The eternal generation of the Son is defined as 'an eternal personal act of the Father, wherein, by necessity of nature, not by choice of will, He generates the person (not the essence) of the Son, by communicating to Him the whole indivisible substance of the Godhead, without division, alienation, or change, so that the Son is the express image of His Father's person, and eternally continues, not from the Father, but in the Father, and the Father in the Son.'"
- A. A. Hodge, Outlines of Theology, p. 182
Then, way back in the 4th century about the same time the Nicene Creed was being forged, the hymn Of the Father's Love Begotten was written. It expresses eloquently this concept of the eternal generation of the Son. He was begotten - speaking of relationship and representation - not made. Yes, the Son took on bodily form and showed us the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit, but He has always been and always will be the eternal Son of God.
The melody of this song is also called Divinum Mysterium - Divine Mystery. There is a mystery about the eternal generation of the Son that some would like to ignore. However, the One who was in the bosom of the Father has been revealed - Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior.
John 1:18
No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
The only God has been made known.
John 1:18 (English Standard Version)
18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.
Notice that in the Greek NT, the words translated "only begotten Son" in the KJV and "the only God" in the ESV are "μονογενης θεος" - "only begotten God." Begotten, not made, very God of very God. The Nicene Creed got it right. Our English, IMO, does not properly express the nuance that the ancient Greek and Latin fathers understood, and I think we are poorer for it, myself - especially when some modern day theologians, I have noticed, argue from the English! Weird...
ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 1:18 (1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament)
18θεον ουδεις εωρακεν πωποτε μονογενης θεος ο ων εις τον κολπον του πατρος εκεινος εξηγησατο
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The Father Sent the Son
1 John 4:14
14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
Matthew Henry:
"The Father sent the Son, he willed his coming into this world."
John 3:16,17
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Dr. Bruce Ware:
"Clearly, the Father both consecrated the Son for the very mission he planned for him, and then he sent the Son into the world to fulfill what he had designed. For this to be meaningful, we must understand both the consecration and sending of the Son as happening prior to the incarnation and thus in the design and purpose of God in eternity past."
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It is important to understand that the Father sent the Son into the world before the Son was born in Bethlehem, even before He was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary. The sending happened in eternity past. In fact, one could say that eternity does not really have a past, present, or future, since eternity speaks of the kind of existence that God has outside of the constraints of time. Time is part of His created order. He is in no way bound by the limits of time.
Therefore, it has always been the will of the Father, - throughout all of time and eternity - with the full agreement of the Son, and the of the Holy Spirit to send the Son as our Savior. The effects of this sending would carry through to all eternity. His coming was at a specific point in time, but the effects of His coming are eternal. In fact, as Matthew Henry points out in his quote above, "He [the Father] willed His [the Son's] coming into the world." The "willing" had to happen before the "coming."
What does it matter? The Son is eternal, as is the Father. They have always had an eternal Father with His eternal Son relationship. The Son did not begin His life when He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He is the eternal Son of God, just as the Father is our Eternal Father, and the Holy Spirit is the eternal Spirit of God. It has always been this way, and it always will be, for God in His essence does not and cannot change.
Since the Father is eternal, the Son is also eternal. How can there be an eternal Father if there is no eternal Son?
Of course, there is only One eternal God who has always existed and will always exist in what are called three hypostases - IOW, three persons who are one in essence and will.
Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before youand said, Destroy.
Romans 16:26
but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—
14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
Matthew Henry:
"The Father sent the Son, he willed his coming into this world."
John 3:16,17
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Dr. Bruce Ware:
"Clearly, the Father both consecrated the Son for the very mission he planned for him, and then he sent the Son into the world to fulfill what he had designed. For this to be meaningful, we must understand both the consecration and sending of the Son as happening prior to the incarnation and thus in the design and purpose of God in eternity past."
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It is important to understand that the Father sent the Son into the world before the Son was born in Bethlehem, even before He was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary. The sending happened in eternity past. In fact, one could say that eternity does not really have a past, present, or future, since eternity speaks of the kind of existence that God has outside of the constraints of time. Time is part of His created order. He is in no way bound by the limits of time.
Therefore, it has always been the will of the Father, - throughout all of time and eternity - with the full agreement of the Son, and the of the Holy Spirit to send the Son as our Savior. The effects of this sending would carry through to all eternity. His coming was at a specific point in time, but the effects of His coming are eternal. In fact, as Matthew Henry points out in his quote above, "He [the Father] willed His [the Son's] coming into the world." The "willing" had to happen before the "coming."
What does it matter? The Son is eternal, as is the Father. They have always had an eternal Father with His eternal Son relationship. The Son did not begin His life when He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He is the eternal Son of God, just as the Father is our Eternal Father, and the Holy Spirit is the eternal Spirit of God. It has always been this way, and it always will be, for God in His essence does not and cannot change.
Since the Father is eternal, the Son is also eternal. How can there be an eternal Father if there is no eternal Son?
Of course, there is only One eternal God who has always existed and will always exist in what are called three hypostases - IOW, three persons who are one in essence and will.
Deuteronomy 33:27
The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And he thrust out the enemy before youand said, Destroy.
Romans 16:26
but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
In Everything Give Thanks
I know that Paul was not talking about American Thanksgiving when under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he wrote the words "give thanks in all circumstances." The imagery of the horn of plenty has always appealed to me.
That's all. Times of a plentiful harvest are certainly part of the "all circumstances." When I was a kid, I loved those coloring pictures with the Cornucopia.
43.1 Thessalonians 5:18
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
εὐχαριστέω eucharisteō
1) to be grateful, feel thankful
2) give thanks
"Give thanks in all circumstances" is a simple command, yet one that is hard to practice. It is another one of those present active imperatives in the Greek that means the giving of thanks and the feeling of gratitude is a habit that we should cultivate if we are real Christians. The giving of thanks should be part of our daily "routine." It should not be something that we do once in awhile, and then forget about. An imperative is a command. This is God's will for us, not an option or just a good idea.
Adverse circumstances should not have an effect on our habit of expressing gratefulness to God. God does not change, so why should our gratefulness change? The giving of thanks is Godward primarily. Remember that Christ gave thanks on the night He was betrayed, so we will never face more adverse circumstances than that.
Christ is our Savior, but He left us an example of how we should face the most dire of situations. Besides that He lives in us through the Holy Spirit, developing in us Christlike attitudes which lead to Christlike actions. The giving of thanks in all cricumstances is something that Christ certainly practiced.
Some argue that we are not told to give thanks for the circumstances themselves. If God is control of the circumstances, shouldn't we receive them all as from His good hand and give thanks for them? On the other hand, in an absolute moral sense, not all circumstances are good, so we should not thank God for our own sin or for the sinful things that others do that bring about bad circumstances. God can and does make all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose, but He does not make people sin. (Romans 8:27-29) He allows people to sin, but His expressed will is that people do not sin.
So, we can thank God for the good that He is able to bring even out of the sinful actions of ourselves and others, but we should never be grateful that we or someone else has sinned. The act of giving thanks is closly related to worship, God's holiness, and His glory, so nothing in us should be grateful that someone has sinned.
Even so, if evil men had not taken Jesus and murdered Him on a cross, we would not be saved from our sins. God used the most sinful acts of the depraved human heart to bring about the destruction of sin, the devil, and even death itself.
Still, the command remains to habitually practice giving thanks to God no matter where we are or what is happening to us. Paul and Silas in prison is another example of where this principle was put into practice. Paul practiced what he preached, in other words. (Acts 16:22-30)
One may think that it is easy to give thanks to God when all is going well, but often that is not the case. Remember the 10 lepers who were healed? Only one of the 10 came back to give thanks.
I don't think, as many Christians seem to indicate, that there is some kind of spiritual power released in the act of giving thanks itself. The "power" comes from the regenerate heart of obedience and the work of the Holy Spirit. There is no "magic" in the act of giving thanks, and the unbeliever will not receive some spiritual benefit from it. The giving of thanks and the feeling of thankfulness is not something that we can work up in the flesh.
We don't thank God through gritted teeth, so to speak, while in our hearts we are cursing our circumstances.
Thankfulness is a grace that God works in our hearts through faith in Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Giving thanks in all circumstances is God's will in Christ Jesus. This is a command for believers.
Of course, if we do not feel grateful at all times, we can still give thanks, knowing that it is the right thing to do and that it is God's will. We can also ask God to work in our hearts so that our feelings also line up with His revealed will.
Some make a big deal about the circumstances themselves being God's will for the believer, therefore give thanks. Some make a big deal about the giving of thanks being God's will. I think that both are true, actually. Nothing happens to us that is outside His sovreign will, and it is always His will for us to be thankful no matter what.
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